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| Six must-have music releases
for summer listening enjoyment |
By Kevin DeLury
Staff Writer
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Alkaline
Trio
“Good Mourning.”
Vagrant Records
To label Alkaline Trio as a pop punk outfit does the band
a disservice. Upon examination, it would appear that the band’s
music cruises along as a seemingly harmless pop punk outfit,
bound for TRL-dom.
One glance at the lyrics shows that “pop” is farthest
thing from the truth. “Good Mourning” sticks with
Alkaline Trio’s favorite subject manner: murder, death,
evil, drugs and alcohol—all sung over infectiously catchy
music.
What sets “Good Mourning” apart from any other album
in their genre is their ability to make a three-person band
sound so powerful, a feat that Blink 182 has been trying to
accomplish for years.
Furthermore, their lyrics breath fresh life into played out
themes of heartbreak and loneliness with clever plays on words
and unsettling imagery that takes root in your head before
you have a chance to think about it.
Yes, unbelievably “Good Mourning” is incredibly
upbeat. Any fan of Midtown or New Found Glory should give
the Alkaline Trio a chance to ruin the fade of MTV-styled
lovelorn pop punk.
Heartscarved
“Epilogue.”
Tribunal Records
Based in Winston-Salem, Heartscarved ran an impressive career
as one of North Carolina’s most underrated hardcore acts.
During their time as a band, they stood apart musically and
lyrically as an innovative act that was not afraid to break
the mold of what a hardcore band was supposed to be.
Unfortunately, the band only got to release one album, “…And
Tomorrow we Escape” before they disbanded earlier this
year. Thankfully, three last songs were recorded that have
been released post-mortem as “Epilogue.”
“Epilogue” cements once and for all Heartscarved’s
commitment to bringing a new voice to hardcore. With a wall
of sound that teeters on classic 80s metal only to seamlessly
shift into brutal breakdowns or beautifully written acoustical
sections.
The vocals of “Epilogue” are just as dynamic, bringing
shrieking screams and gut-wrenching growls as well as ethereal
singing that echo throughout the intensity of the music.
The shame about listening to “Epilogue” is that
unlike Tupac, Heartscarved is very much gone and three swan
songs are all they left behind.
Jay Z
“The S. Carter Collection Mixtape.”
Roc-a-fella Records
This could quite possibly be the most expensive album you
buy this summer, or ever for that matter. Originally intended
as a freebie to be included with the purchase of Jay Z’s
own line of footwear manufactured by Reebok, this album is
chock full of freestyles from the god emcee himself.
What’s interesting about “The S. Carter Collection
Mixtape” is Jay Z’s declaration that he is indeed
retiring from the rap game. References are made that suggest
Jay Z will release one more album, tentatively titled “The
Black Album” and bow out gracefully.
Like all of Jay Z’s albums, “The S. Carter Collection
Mixtape” comes with deeper introspective songs as well
as party songs. Listening to Jay rap over Snoop Dogg’s
“Beautiful,” or N.E.R.D.’s “Rockstar,”
it’s easy to see why Jay Z owns hip-hop.
What’s a little harder to understand is why we have to
shuck out $150 for a pair of sneakers. Kazaa anyone?
The Sounds
“Living in America.”
Warner Music Sweden/ Telegram
Those crazy Swedes are at it again. First with Abba, then
Ace of Base, it seems the Sweden’s main export is incredibly
poppy dance music that we here in America secretly embrace;
much like the moped, they’re fun to ride until your friends
see you on one.
Putting my journalistic integrity on the line, I will say
this: The Sounds are really good. Think Blondie meets concentrated
1980s new wave. Recently, rock staples such as Foo Fighter’s
Dave Grohl and ex-Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha have
professed their love for The Sounds.
You can’t help but wonder: a) what’s in Sweden’s
water supply and b) how undeniably groovy “Living in
America” is. Even better, The Sounds make it OK to like
brainless pop music … as only a neutral country could.
Darkest Hour
“Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation.”
Victory Records
What ever happened to metal? No, not Ozzfest-esque safe-as-milk
hot topic metal, but metal that got thrown out by mom and
had the two outcasts in your high school hanging out in a
basement on Friday night playing an album backwards trying
to decipher the hidden message?
Yes, real metal.
Unfortunately, it seemed the era of over-the-top evil went
the way of the dinosaur—until Virginia-based Darkest
Hour came and reaffirmed that true metal still exists.
On “Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation,” the group
sticks to the formula of breakneck drumming, dueling solos
and vocals that could only be obtained through a pact with
the devil. Mix this with a punk-rock attitude and a fixation
with the experimental, and one of the best metal albums of
the year is born.
Lyrically, the album focuses on American culture’s fascination
with guns and violence, as well as the dangers of blind faith
and patriotism, but a copy of the lyrics may be needed to
gather that much.
Ah, metal, how we missed ye.
Mike Doughty-
“Smofe and Smang.”
McMonkey Twenty-Seven Music
In the late 1990s, underground favorites Soul Coughing made
their way onto MTV and modern rock radio with the song “Circles,”
then subsequently dove back into obscurity and broke up shortly
thereafter. Dismissed as one-hit wonders by the mainstream,
fans of Soul Coughing remain as devoted today as ever.
After their breakup, Soul Coughing front man Mike Doughty
went on to release a solo album entitled “The Skittish
Sessions.” While “Skittish” was a far cry from
the hip-hop/jazz/ rock hybrid of Soul Coughing, the album
showcased Doughty’s ability as a solo artist and singer-songwriter.
The album was a quiet acoustic journey through the offbeat
mind of Doughty, who labels his music “Small Rock.”
Now, the Small Rock returns on “Smofe and Smang.”
Recorded live in Minneapolis, it features unreleased tracks,
as well as new takes on Soul Coughing classics. This album
also manages to capture the spirit of Doughty’s live
shows, which thrive on crowd participation and Doughty bantering
about whatever happened to be on his mind that day. While
only a solo act, Doughty manages to hold your attention from
beginning to end.
Unfortunately, the brilliance of “Smofe
and Smang” is ignored by major distributors, but can
be purchased through Mike Doughty’s website www.superspecialquestions.com. |
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